Test Drive: All-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SE 4Motion

Greg Zyla More Content Now

Monday

Jun 25, 2018 at 10:23 AMJun 25, 2018 at 10:23 AM

Entry Price: $30,375Price as Tested: $39,815

There’s a brand-new SUV in town called Volkswagen Atlas, and it’s sure one of the roomiest midsize SUV’s we’ve ever tested. With three rows of standard seating allowing up to seven passengers, the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas replaces the five-passenger Toureg and looks to be a stern competitor in this popular class. Currently, Atlas sits alongside smaller compact crossover Tiguan at VW dealerships, the latter which receives a major makeover for 2018. (We’re hoping to drive one soon).

Atlas starts with the entry S for $30,375, then moves up through another 11 models to reach the summit SEL Premium, which retails for $48,740 fully loaded. Both Turbo4 and V6 engines are available until you get to the top rung SEL Premium, which comes with the V6 engine as standard fare.

Recommended is the V6 over the Turbocharged 4-cylinder for obvious power benefits and towing advantages. Expressly, the 3.6-liter V6 develops 276 horses and 266 lb. ft. of torque versus the small 2.0-liter inline turbo four-cylinder that delivers 235 horses and 258 lb. ft. of torque. When you have your Atlas loaded up with passengers and cargo is filled to the brim (for a trip to the beach for example), the extra 41 horses will surely be appreciated. All Atlas models utilize a fine shifting eight-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission that shifted perfectly during our test review.

The new Atlas offers both front-wheel-drive (2WD) or VW’s famous 4Motion all-wheel-drive (AWD) with Active Control, the latter which our tester featured. In choosing your preference of adhesion, keep in mind that only the V6 models offer the 4Motion AWD. The entry price for our Atlas V6 SE Tech V6 4Motion is $38,890, and comes delivered with just about every standard feature you’ll need. If you live in a warm climate state, this same vehicle with front-drive starts at $37,340.

Of all the trims available, the Atlas SE V6 w/technology 4Motion may well be the best of the bunch as for return on investment. Standard features include all the high-tech items like Apple and Android compatibility, Volkswagen App-Connect, (which begins when you plug in your compatible Smartphone) adaptive cruise, enhanced rear view camera, front collision warning, emergency braking, lane assist, lane departure, eight-speaker SiriusXM with CD player, power liftgate and much more.

Then you add SE’s leatherette trim interior, 18-inch tires on nice alloy wheels, power driver seat, heated front seats, rear sunshades, blind-spot monitor, eight-inch touchscreen, three zone climate control, remote push button start, and much more and you have a near fully loaded Atlas. Your VW dealer will gladly explain all Atlas models when you visit.

Notable is fuel mileage, or lack thereof. Our V6 tester is listed at 17 city and 23 highway, which isn’t the greatest of EPA fuel mileage estimates to begin with. I doubt our weeklong test came close to these numbers, especially in the city. However, if you’re not going to haul seven passengers any time soon, start with the Turbo4 and see how you like it as the EPA for the four cylinder is 22 city and 26 highway. Remember, too, this VW Atlas is no lightweight, so fuel mileage will be less than the lighter weight and smaller SUVs.

On the plus side, Atlas is the biggest SUV Volkswagen has built in a long time and offers heaps of cargo capacity over and above the competition. Additionally, our week-long drive behind the wheel of the Atlas was a complete positive experience, especially the aforementioned standard features combined with ultra-quiet interior and fine road manners.

It’s the interior roominess, however, that deserves extra mention. With nearly 100 cu. ft. of cargo space available with seats down and room for seven with seating up, you’ll enjoy things like 17 cup holders (yes, 17), second row captain chairs, easy third row access, and more third row legroom than the competition. As for the task of folding the seats down for added cargo, it’s an easy task that even the kids can accomplish. Further, when you add in Volkswagen’s new “People First Warranty” of six-years and 72,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, which is also transferable, you have a winning combination of quality VW build, lots of room and driver confidence.

In summary, when you look back at Volkswagen’s heralded past in building unique vehicles made to transport seven or more passengers, memories of the 23-window Microbus, Kombi vans and those popular Vanagon wagons and Westfalia Campers come quickly to mind. These VW buses date all the way back to 1950 here in the U.S. following the Beetle introduction in 1949. During the 1960 decade, no other vehicle came close to the popularity of a VW “Mini Bus” painted in multi-color, “Peace and Love” livery.

Now perfected, this new VW Atlas is sure to be a worthy competitor in our modern-day culture of moving family, friends and cargo.